Blueberry Buttermilk Sherbet

I’m taking my summer blueberry obsession all the way down to the wire, since I know when I get back from Florida in 10 days, the window will have probably closed on blueberry season for the year. I now have some blueberry deliciousness in the freezer to keep me going for a little while longer. While I make a ton of ice cream (that’s probably an understatement) throughout the course of the year, I’ve only dipped my toe into sherbet-making. Last summer, I made fresh orange sherbet, and I loved it! Sherbet is almost always started with fresh fruit, so it has bright flavors that will make your mouth sing.

I’ve seen a number of recipes on blogs for a strawberry-buttermilk ice cream, but I’ve always felt kind of thought “eh” about. I wasn’t sure that I would like the tang of buttermilk in my ice cream, but I decided to finally give it a whirl when I saw this blueberry sherbet recipe. Basically, it’s amazing. The buttermilk provides a wonderful contrast to the sweetness of the berries, and it aids in the silky smooth texture of the sherbet.

If you love fruit and have been hesitant to make your own ice cream, this is a great place to start. What’s your favorite sherbet flavor?

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Puree the blueberries and sugar in a blender until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl; press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Stir in the buttermilk, lemon zest and vanilla extract.

2. Churn the blueberry mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, then transfer to an airtight container. Freeze until hardened, at least 2 hours. Sherbet will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.